Large snake, about two and a half feet long, but up to four and a half. Color may be brown to gray to reddish, with dark crossbands on the neck and dark blotches further back on the body. You can see the bands in the picture, but, unfortunately, not the blotches. Older snakes are darker and may become completely black. Belly paler with reddish or blackish markings.

Active by day or night, hunting along the water's edge for fish, frogs, crayfish and salamanders. will also eat small birds and mammals. In turn it may be eaten by foxes, raccoons, opossums and snapping turtles. May be seen basking on rocks or in brush near the water, and will escape into the water if disturbed. If picked up, it will bite repeatedly.

Native to eastern and central North America from Ontatio and Quebec to Texas and Florida. It is considered an invasive species in California. In Wildwood, expect it near Connelly's Run.

Often misidentified as a venomous cottonmouth, which is not known from Wildwood (or anywhere near Radford). Water snakes have blotches on their bodies, but cottonmouths have bands. Water snakes have flattened heads as wide as their necks, but cottonmouths have flattened wedge-shaped heads wider than the necks, because of the venom glands on the sides. If it will look you in the eyes, you can also see that watersnakes have round pupils, but cottonmouths have slit pupils like cats.